MATCHING SENTENCE ENDINGS

Questions 1 - 8

Complete each sentence with the correct ending A-J from the box below. Write only the
letter. You do not need to use all of the sentence endings.

1. H
Strawberries may help to

2. C
In non-human tests fisetin was shown

3. F
Specialists in Pamela Maher’s group believe

4. I
Maher dedicates much time on fisetin which has

5. D
Mahar wants to soon begin working with other people on

6. D
Along with the global aging trend, Alzheimer’s is

7. A
Almost a quarter of the world’s population is predicted

8. A reduction in the number of cases of cognitive diseases suffered by the elderly will reduce
G

A. to be over the age of 60 by the year 2050.

B. may be described as a new superfood.
C. to reduce swelling of an organ.
D. an increasing problem around the world.
E. been studied for over 10 years.
F. more testing should be carried out to find out the benefits of fisetin.
G. the predicted burden on health services in the future.
H. curb diseases suffered by the elderly.
I. controlled testing of fisetin on people.
J. are highly toxic.
 A COMPOUND IN STRAWBERRIES MAY PREVENT COGNITIVE
DECLINE, RESEARCH SHOWS

A compound found in strawberries and other fruit may help prevent cognitive decline, new
research shows. The findings may help prevent Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative
diseases associated with aging.

Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies found that treating aging mouse models
with fisetin, a compound found in strawberries, helped reduce brain inflammation and cognitive
decline. The study, authored by Pamela Maher of the Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory at Salk,
was published in The Journals of Gerontology Series A. “Companies have put fisetin into
various health products, but there hasn’t been enough serious testing of the compound,” said
Maher. “Based on our ongoing work, we think fisetin might be helpful as a preventative for
many age-associated neurodegenerative diseases, not just Alzheimer’s, and we’d like to
encourage more rigorous study of it.”

Maher has been studying the compound for more than a decade. Previous research has found that
fisetin reduced memory loss caused by Alzheimer’s in mice, but that study was related to genetic
Alzheimer’s. This form of the disease only accounts for 1-3% of cases.

While Maher acknowledges that mice are not people, she is confident that there are enough
similarities to warrant a closer look at the compound. “We think fisetin warrants a closer look,
not only for potentially treating sporadic AD, but also for reducing some of the cognitive effects
associated with aging, generally,” said Maher. The next step, Maher hopes, is to partner with
another company or group to conduct human trials of the compound.

Fisetin is currently sold as a dietary supplement, but those products are not regulated by the
FDA. The team has also developed derivatives of the compound that may have enhanced
properties, Maher says. “One of the advantages of those is that you can patent them,” she said.
“The disadvantage is that to get them into a clinic, you have to go through a lot more regulatory
hurdles.”

If proven effective and safe, fisetin may be used to help prevent Alzheimer’s and other forms of
dementia, a growing problem as the world’s population continues to age. Aging is, according to
the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), one of the most significant trends of this century.
One in eight people in the world is over the age of 60. By 2050, UNFPA estimates that 22% of
the population will be 60 and older. The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that there are 5.5
million people living with Alzheimer’s disease in the United States alone. Among those 5.5
million people, 5.3 million are 65 and older. Alzheimer’s disease in older individuals is closely
linked with other medical issues, such as incontinence, which requires caregivers to take on the
additional tasks of changing bed pads (or chux) and adult diapers.

As researchers continue to learn more about compounds and their cognitive-protecting

properties, Alzheimer’s cases may begin to decline. A decline in Alzheimer’s and dementia may
help reduce the expected shortage of medical care professionals needed to treat aging patients.

The research team is currently trying to secure clinical human trials, but such treatments will
likely not be available to the public for years.